New Congress Convenes as Shutdown Delays Farm Payments

New leaders convene in Congress with the need to find an end to the government shutdown. The Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies are reaching a “breaking point,” according to Politico, as many agencies are running out of carryover funding. USDA has closed Farm Service Agency offices across the nation due to the shutdown. Producers who have certified 2018 …

Vegetable Gardens Issue Pops Up in House

An effort to keep local governments out of homeowners’ vegetable gardens has returned to the House. Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, R-DeLand, filed a measure (HB 145) Wednesday intended to prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. The measure mirrors a bill (SB 82) by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that is scheduled to be heard Tuesday in the Senate Community …

Foreign Ag Service Worked to Expand Trade in 2018

The USDA worked diligently in 2018 to expand trade opportunities around the world for U.S. ag producers. Those efforts paid off as global sales remained strong in spite of challenges in the trade arena through the year. Ted McKinney, Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, says it’s been a “rollercoaster ride this year,” but U.S. farm exports remain strong, …

Desantis Urged to Help Farmers on Trade Deal

Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …

New NRCS Chief is a Farmer

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of (Matthew J.) “Matt” Lohr to serve as Chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Virginia native brings a lifetime of agriculture experience to his new post, as he is a 5th generation family farmer. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, …

Food Banks Struggling With Too Much Milk

A USDA program designed to buy and distribute almost $50 million in dairy products is overwhelming food pantries in Iowa and Illinois. An Associated Press article says River Bend Foodbank CEO Mike Miller says about 80,000 half-gallons of milk will be sent to food banks across the Quad City (Iowa) region through March. The large rise in milk donations comes …

USDA Names Alternate Member for Georgia to the National Peanut Board

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of Casey Cox, Camilla, Ga., to fill a vacant seat as an alternate on the National Peanut Board. The three-year term will begin Jan. 1, 2019.  The board is made up of 12 producer members and their alternates. Eleven members and alternates are from the primary peanut producing states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, …

ASTA Conference Coming to Orlando

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) invites folks to attend the 2019 Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, February 1-5 in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. This global conference will bring together approximately 1,000 seed industry leaders from over 35 countries, thus making it ASTA’s fastest-growing event.  The 2019 conference will feature educational sessions that cover topics ranging from …

Poultry Production Likely Slower in 2019

U.S. broiler markets are still weak, and prices are depressed. As a result, Rabobank says poultry production is likely to slow down in 2019. Nan-Dirk Mulder, a senior analyst for animal protein at Rabobank, says the outlook for the global poultry industry will gradually improve as the year progresses. The biggest improvements will likely arrive in the second half of …